34: PAINTBALL COMRADES

William has been awkward all morning, after he’d woken up staring terrified at the ceiling and I had to calm him down. Thankfully I’d been awake. Thankfully I’d been staring at him as he slept like a creep. Thankfully, he’s too preoccupied with being cold and distant to know that I’d been ogling him in his sleep.

I stomp up the steps of the school bus, wiping sweat from my brow and momentarily appreciating the blast of cool air that greets me. Acadia Central City is way warmer than I’d expected, than any of us from the Academy are used to. The weather here is on the brink of changing from a cold winter to an abrupt summer, and so the nights are cold, but the afternoons hot. Evin’s words, not mine.

We’d been instructed by Mr. Ortega to wear something we wouldn’t mind ruining for the team building activities. Thanks to Wilma, my only fitting wardrobe options included a polo shirt and booty shorts —which I didn’t wear because I’m not mentally deranged.

I smooth down the old red My Chemic